Nash Public School

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna pass it right along to you. Back in 1873, a pioneer settler by the name of Thomas Alexander Williams brought his family out to a stretch of Ellis County land folks were calling Garden Valley. Williams had been born back in 1827, and by the time he set down roots here he was a man who knew what a community needed.

Didn't take long after his arrival before he directed the establishment of a school; right there on land that was originally part of his own farm. That's where children of Garden Valley gathered to learn. Williams lived until 1900, long enough to see what he'd helped set in motion.

Then, in 1883, a Nash Post Office opened up, and with it came a new name for the school: Nash Public School, from that point forward. The school kept its doors open for generations, through the seasons and the changes that come with time out on the Texas prairie. But by 1938, those doors closed for good, and the students were transferred on to nearby districts.

Now, the building still standing at that site (a two-story frame structure that served as the second schoolhouse) didn't just fade away. It found a second life as a community center. From Williams' farm, to a schoolhouse, to a gathering place.

Some ground just keeps on serving.

What the marker says

In 1873 pioneer settler Thomas Alexander Williams (1827-1900) brought his family to this area, which was known as Garden Valley. Soon after his arrival, he directed the establishment of a school for the community. Classes were conducted at this site, originally part of Williams' farm. Renamed after the Nash Post Office opened in 1883, the public school closed in 1938 and students were transferred to nearby districts. The existing two-story frame building, which served as the second schoolhouse, in now used as a community center.